Sherman Hemsley, 74, dies

Sherman Hemsley, who is best known for his role in the TV sitcom “The Jefferson,” has died. He was 74 years old.

Early reports from TMZ say the El Paso, Texas, resident died at home of natural causes.

Hemsley’s character George Jefferson first came to prominence through the sitcom “All in the Family” in the early 1970s. “The Jefferson” spun off of “All of the Family” two years after the characters were introduced, and “The Jefferson” ran for 11 seasons.

A 1999 Times Union article by Mark McGuire listed George Jefferson, the character Hemsley played as No. 80 on the list of 100 all-time best TV characters.

Isabel Sanford, who played George Jefferson’s wife, Louise “Weezie” Jefferson, had died in 2004.